About the Instructor

Daniel Schwabauer, MA in creative writing, University Kansas, is the creator of The One Year Adventure Novel and Cover Story Writing, writing curriculum designed for homeschool students. Once asked if he would like to be the next C.S. Lewis, Mr. S.—as he is called by his students—replied, “I’d rather train a thousand C.S. Lewises.”

Runt the Braveand Runt the Hunted, his young adult novels, have received numerous awards, including the 2005 Ben Franklin Award for Best New Voice in Children’s Literature and the 2008 Eric Hoffer Award. The final book in the trilogy, The Curse of the Seer, released with AMG Publishers in 2015.

His professional work includes stage plays, radio scripts, short stories, newspaper columns, non-fiction ghost-writing, comic books and scripting for the PBS animated series Auto-B-Good.

He is editor of Crosswind Comics, where he develops educational materials for youth-at-risk and prison inmates, among them the Amazing True Life Stories series as well as The Amazing Gospel graphic novel, which has been translated into several languages around the world.

Real Students. Real Comments.

“Mr. Schwabauer’s approach to storytelling has changed the way I write. He taught me how to create compelling, multi-faceted characters; how to write in a way that engages readers’ emotions; and how to use my stories to communicate values to an audience. No one has taught me as much about the craft of fiction as he has.”Justin Ferguson

“Mr. S. makes learning fun. His engaging teaching style on the DVDs showed me that he clearly loves what he’s teaching and is really passionate about writing. This was only confirmed when I got the privilege to hear him teach in person at a workshop. He also takes a genuine interest in each student. Mr. S. showed me how much fun writing and learning can be.”Katie Farrar

“I’ve always loved to write stories, but it wasn’t until I took the One Year Adventure Novel that they came alive. Mr. S. took what seemed an insurmountable task of writing a full novel and led me step by step through the creation of my own story. He pours his passion into this course and inspires you to better your work in every way.”Michael Farrar

“Mr. Schwabauer has the amazing gift of being able to reach students at their level in a way that really clicks with them. You’re not just being taught, you’re being welcomed in to a realm of wonder and discovery. And that is what makes his teaching so amazing.”Adrienne Rollick

“Mr. Schwabauer has been one of the best teachers I’ve ever encountered during my high school experience. His manner of teaching through story improved my writing and storytelling astronomically, as well as being one of the kindest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of learning from.”Lauren LaForest

“Mr. Schwabauer gave me the means to turn an unorganized product of old inspiration into an actual story with order and depth. His teaching on how crucial meaning in fiction is went on to change how I look at real life and gave me a passion for my newfound calling as a novelist!”Nicholas L.

“Mr. S is a mentor, and not just in the realm of writing, but in the realm of life in general. He’s one of the few people I truly look up to on both a professional and life level.”Hannah Mills

“Mr. S taught me that you don’t need perfect characters in a book, just characters that are human. He also taught me to find beauty in everything: friends, family, school, work and even total strangers.”Mary Beth